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Thursday, 9 August 2012

D.I.Y: The Hempy Bead Bracelet

Hello Earthlings,

D.I.Y seriously is the way now. People, you need to know this! It seriously is the bomb diggidy 8-). I’ve made a lot of things this summer and one of them was this, what I like to call, The Hempy bead bracelet. It’s easy to make when you get the technique right, and it is most certainly good for your arm candy. These are super cute and they virtually go with ANYTHING. Also, what is great about these projects is that you can make them for particular outfits you don’t have matching jewellery for. BTW: I had a revelation with my camera on how I can take better pictures hence the lighting differences in the pictures. Well it’s my first D.I.Y post; I get credit for trying okay xD. Now that I have again bored you, I shall let you enter my tutorial. Have fun creating Earthlings.

1. Cut the brown leather cord 20 inches long and your chosen colour embroidery thread, 45 inches and fold them in half.
2. Take your button and put it through the leather cord to get an accurate size for the hole to go through your button, keeping your fingers at the end.
3. Now take the embroidery thread from the middle and tie a simple double knot, making sure it is very tight to avoid changing the loop size while making the bracelet.

4. Turn it over on the other side and tape it down on something sturdy – like a table.
5. Take the thread on the right hand side and place it over the leather cord.
6. Take the thread on the left hand side, keeping it on the left side, and place it over the first thread you moved.

7. Keep the left side thread over the thread from the right side and now take it underneath the leather cord.
8. Then take the thread through the loop on the right hand side.
9. Take both threads and pull them outwards, tightening the knot so it will look like this (NOTE: you don’t need to pull it super tight as the design wouldn’t be shown properly).

10. For your second knot, repeat steps 5-9 but now starting on the left hand side. (NOTE: throughout this whole bracelet the hemp knot needs to start from opposite sides – right, left, right, left and so on.) After doing this knot 10 times going right, left, right, left etc. It should look like this. (NOTE: the thread in the middle of a finished knot shows you how many knots you’ve done, thus making it easier to know when you’ve done 10)
11. If you start the knot on one side only, then it will look like this and have a twisting effect which is not for this bracelet.
12. After doing this knot 10 times, it is time to add the gold spacer beads. Take one bead and place it through the thread on the right side, then on the left. Take the beads up to the start of the thread on each side, this makes it easier.

13. Repeat steps 5-9 with the beads.
14. If done correctly, it should look like this.
15. Again, repeat steps 5-9 with the beads but starting with the opposite side. (In my case, the left).

16. After doing steps 5-9 two times, it should look like this. Now repeat steps 5-9 but WITHOUT the beads (NOTE: you only do this after 1 set of beads. So it should be, 2 knots with beads, 1 knot without beads, then repeat).
17. After two sets, it should look like this. Now if you’re lazy like I am *sigh* then there is a quicker way around this. Put two beads on one thread at a time, putting the first set of beads to the top of the thread, repeat steps 5-9. IMPORTANT: Make sure the knot separates the first set of beads from the second as it can confuse you and mess up the design.
18. Now repeat steps 5-9 starting from the opposite side and then another knot without the beads. Continue this process until you have your desired length. NOTE: Do not continue beading till the end, make sure you leave 1 or 2 centimetres before you should stop so you can repeat step 10 for a more professional look. Also, remember to keep testing the length on your wrist to avoid making it too long or short.

19. Once you have finished step 10, turn the bracelet over and tie a tight double knot on the back and cut the excess embroidery thread.
20. Now take one leather cord and put it through a hole on in the button. Take the other and place it through the hole next to the one you first put it through.
21. Then take the first cord and place through the hole diagonally opposite from it, then do this with the other cord, and the back should look like this.

22. Again tie a tight double knot.
23. Cut the excess cord.
24. (OPTIONAL) I don’t trust my knots so I keep it safe by adding glue, just in case.
25. And waheey, we have the finished product!

Well guys, I hope you liked my first D.I.Y tutorial everrrrr lol. Stay tuned for more D.I.Y posts this summer and forever! Experiment with different coloured thread, leather cord and beads for a more versatile and unique look. Hope I’ve inspired and taken you into the amazing D.I.Y world.